ALAMEDA, Calif.—In light of how well second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick has played for the 49ers in place of injured regular Alex Smith, it begs the question: Should the Raiders take a similar look at second-year quarterback Terrelle Pryor at some point this season?

First-year coach Dennis Allen has not activated Pryor for any of Oakland’s 11 games this season, perhaps fearful of finding himself in a circus-like atmosphere like the one he witnessed with Denver last season, when Tim Tebow took over for Kyle Orton. The Raiders still are in the playoff hunt, even though they are 3-8. Yet, once they are mathematically eliminated, it seems like the wise thing to do is take a long look at Pryor to see if he is a better option than veteran Carson Palmer or even worth keeping on the roster beyond this season.

Pryor has not attempted a pass in a regular-season game for the Raiders in his two seasons. He did some impressive things during exhibition games this season, especially with his feet, keeping alive plays and running for positive yardage. The concerns about Pryor are his accuracy and ability to perform at a high level on a consistent basis.

Still, the Raiders need to give him a chance to show what he can do. He can’t get much better without game experience. Palmer turns 33 toward the end of this season, so it’s at the point where the Raiders need to groom a replacement anyway.